Preparing sample materials such as materialographic and/or metallographic samples for analysis such as for microscopy or SEM for hardness testing or image analysis, is a challenging and often time consuming task; inter alia as each sample must be fixed by moulding in an often modular sample holder in order to facilitate not only the analysis, but also the preparation of the sample material for the analysis.
Preparation for analysis includes various steps of cutting and polishing the sample material in order to present a perfect surface of the sample material.
In order to fix a sample material in a sample holder, the sample material typically is embedded in a mounting medium prior to preparation and subsequent analysis. By this, protection as well as easy handling of the often small and fragile samples are obtained.
The availability of sophisticated sample material embedding systems and/or sample mounting systems has made the process of embedding the samples easier. The sample mounting process is, despite the sophisticated techniques, still a time consuming operation; especially since cycle times required by any steps of heating and/or cooling are limited significantly by the mounting medium's ability to transfer heat into and out from the embedding matrix. The obvious solution for decreasing the cycle times required by heating and/or cooling would be to apply either very high or very low temperatures in order to heat or cool the mounting medium and thereby expedite the mounting/sintering process. This, however, is undesirable inter alia as:                large temperature gradients in effect compromise the integrity of the mounting medium, and        large temperature gradients cause the mounting media to sinter with a less than an adequate or suitable rate to give a homogeneous sintering of the matrix within short cycle times.        
Typically, the sample material preparation process includes following steps:                sectioning the sample into one or more suitable sections,        mounting the sectioned sample material in a mounting medium to facilitate handling and to protect the sample material,        grinding the mounted sample, and        polishing the mounted sample.        
The embedding material, or mounting medium, must be composed or chosen such that the mounting medium offers satisfactory properties with respect to fixation and edge retention of the sample material within the mounting medium.
Typically, the sample material is embedded in the mounting medium by means of a sintering process taking place in a compression mould. Heat may be applied to the mould to facilitate the mounting process. Furthermore, the mould may be actively cooled in order to facilitate cooling of the mould including the mounting medium and sample material-thereby reducing the cycle times required by heating and/or cooling.
The speed or rate at which the mould including mounting medium and sample material may be heated correlates to the cycle time of a moulding process and vice versa. Likewise applies in case the mould is actively cooled in a following step.
One object of the present invention is to set forth a mounting medium configured for reducing the cycle time(s) of the mounting process.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to set forth a method of mounting sample materials. The method is configured for reducing the cycle time(s) of the mounting process without compromising the integrity of the mounting medium including the integrity of contact faces between the mounting medium and the sample material. Furthermore, the method is configured for preventing damage to the sample material due to chemical in compatibility and or preventing interfering with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy spectra of typical metallographic sample materials, e.g. stainless steel.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to set forth a mounting medium, and a method of producing a mounting medium, configured for lessening temperature gradients throughout the mounting medium during heating and/or cooling.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,644 A discloses a method of making an assembly including a specimen holder and a specimen for the purpose of subjecting the specimen to etching by means of an electric discharge. The object of the invention according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,644 A is to provide a method of making a specimen assembly which exposes only a small part of the surface of the specimen to an electric discharge and to provide effective means for impressing an electrical potential to the embedded specimen. The method includes placing the specimen in a block of mouldable electrically conducting material consisting of a mixture of two parts phenolic condensation powder (Bakelite) with a mica filler and/or wood flour filler or the like and one part aluminium filler. This recipe thus results in a powder having 66.6% non-metal and 33.3% metal. According to the reference, the said non-metal/metal ratio allows for electrical potential to be impressed between the specimen and an anode. The mixture according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,644 A is chemically cured under a heat-treatment process. The reference provides no teaching with respect to any of:                limiting gaps between the hardened/cured powder and the specimen,        the heat conductivity of the said hardened powder,        the workability of the hardened powder,        hardening by means of a sintering process,        chemical compatibility with the sample during subsequent materialographic and/or metallographic preparation steps, or        avoid interference with Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy spectra of typical metallographic samples.        
JP 5026794 A discloses a non-metallic resin for embedding sample materials prior to preparation and analysis.
US 2004 028563 A discloses a tool for making a mounting or holder for a tablet-shaped sample material which is to undergo analysis in/by an analytical instrument.
Moreover, today there are hot mounting resins available configured for applications suitable for electrolytic polishing. One hot mounting media includes acrylic resin, iron powder and graphite filler. This mounting media is marketed under the name ConduFast and is composed of 30-60 W % acryl, 30-60 W % iron and 5-15 W % graphite.